LETTERS: The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) to primary school pupils in 2027 will create a digital-savvy generation.
Digital literacy is crucial today and in the future, to ensure Malaysia can develop expertise in AI, virtual reality, machine learning, prompt engineering and other advanced technologies.
In the midst of all these exciting developments, one pressing issue which demands our attention is integrity, which must be nurtured in those who are going to use such technologies.
When the Internet was introduced in this country, it was quickly embraced by people from all walks of life without much hesitation. It gave birth to a thriving digital society.
Those who are born in the digital age are called "digital natives" and those who did not grow up using digital technology are called "digital immigrants".
Both have grown by leaps and bounds as the Internet and social media platforms continue to thrive.
Unfortunately, none is fully exposed to knowledge of digital citizenship — the responsible use of technology, computers, the Internet and digital devices to engage with society on any level.
Integrating the basics of AI must come with the internalisation of good values, such as the use of appropriate language and behaviour when interacting with others to avoid cyberbullying.
Primary school pupils must also be taught to respect the opinions and ideas of others. Moreover, they must also be exposed to basic intellectual property laws in order to discourage plagiarism.
While developing their skills in AI, students must understand that they cannot use and share other people's work without permission and, most importantly, they ought to follow rules and regulations set by every Internet site.
Without adequate exposure to such codes, technological abuse, such as creating deepfakes and inappropriate sexual materials, and committing plagiarism, would be rampant.
Tech education, undeniably, is a field of study which must be part of the younger generation's learning process, but it must come with the integration of values so that we are not developing the ground for a dystopian society to grow.
ZARLINA MOHD ZAMARI
Senior Lecturer, Academy of Language Studies, Seri Iskandar Campus, UiTM, Perak
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
